My main aims are to purify protection-inducing (i.e. functional) antigens from the muscle larva of Trichinella spiralis, then to characterize these antigens with regard to their major physical, chemical and biological properties. Purification of protection-inducing antigens will be accomplished by employing a combination of separatory methodologies including immuno-affinity chromatography, molecular-sizing chromatography, preparative flatbed isoelectric focusing, high performance liquid chromatography and group-specific affinity chromatography. Characterization studies on each purified antigen will include determinations of: molecular weight, carbohydrate content, amino acid composition, partial amino acid sequence, isolectric point, electrophoretic index, localization within the larva, ability to induce rapid expulsion and slow rejection responses in mice and rats, and usefullness in the serodiagnosis of human and swine trichinellosis.